Bangladeshi workers taken ill after drinking water at factory

Several hundred garment workers have been taken ill at their factory outside Bangladesh's capital, apparently after drinking water there.

A police official Mohammad Jahid said many of the workers had been treated at various hospitals after the incident at East West factory in Gazipur district.

Jahid said most of the workers had suffered vomiting and stomach problems, which were not life-threatening.

He said up to 4,000 workers were employed in the factory. Police inspector Humayun Kabir said that several garment workers -- most of them women -- fell sick Sunday at two garment plants at Joydevpur, an industrial town north of Dhaka.

“At least 141 of them were rushed to one hospital. Some others were taken to other hospitals. The factories were closed for the day,” he said.

“Primarily we suspect the water supply of the factories could be contaminated.”

Earlier this month, contaminated drinking water caused illness among 450 workers at Starlight Sweater factory in the same area.

Authorities cleaned the reservoir and reopened the factory a day later.